In Photos: Tomb Painting Discovered Near Great Pyramid of Giza

By Owen Jarus, Live Science Contributor |
July 15, 2014 11:38am ET

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Tomb painting

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

A new painting, depicting scenes of ancient Egyptian life, was discovered in 2012 in a tomb located about 1,000 feet (300 meters) east of the Great Pyramid at Giza. Pictured here the tomb is for a man named Perseneb whom inscriptions say was a "priest" and "steward." It dates to the middle or late fifth dynasty (ca. 2450-2350 B.C.). [Read full story]

Tomb statues

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

The tomb contains a central room, offering room and burial chamber. The complex was first recorded in the 19th century and was noted for its 11 statues, which include depictions of Perseneb and his family. Archaeologists were conducting restoration work and did not expect to make a new discovery. This image shows part of the central room with four of the statues. [Read full story]

Restoring a tomb painting

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

The remains of the painting were found here on the eastern wall of the central room of the tomb near the Great Pyramid at Giza. The painting required extensive cleaning and restoration in order to reveal what the images show.

Soot and dirt

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

The archaeologists went to work, carefully cleaning the painting, removing soot and dirt. Since the 19th century the growth and industrialization of Cairo has led to pollution becoming a growing problem at Giza. Additionally people were actually living in this tomb at different time periods (including the Middle Ages) causing further damage to the painting. [Read full story]

Revealing scenes of life

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

Archaeologists also traced the tomb painting, located near Egypt's Great Pyramid at Giza, allowing for the images to be reconstructed. The painting showed scenes of ancient life, such as boats sailing on the Nile River and a hunting trip for birds near a marsh.

Painting progress

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

As work continued on cleaning and restoring the painting, discovered in the ancient tomb of a man, possibly a priest, near the Great Pyramid at Giza, the original artwork began to return to life.

Tomb painting comes to life

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

"The painting was made on a thin layer of fine white plaster darkened with 19th-century soot and dirt. By the time of recording, only about 30 percent of the original plaster had preserved on the wall," said Maksim Lebedev, a Reader (the American equivalent is a professor) at the Russian State University for the Humanities. Part of the painting after cleaning is shown here.

Agricultural scene

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

The same image from the ancient Egyptian tomb painting with the tracing superimposed. The painting, dating to the middle or late fifth dynasty (ca. 2450-2350 B.C.), has a lengthy agricultural scene that includes the driving of sheep.

Sailing the Nile

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

At the top of the tomb painting there is an image of boats sailing south along the Nile River. This image shows a reconstruction of one of them.

Perseneb and his dog

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

Part of the painting shows Perseneb, noted as a priest or steward in inscriptions, along with his wife and his dog. The dog is shown here at Perseneb's feet.

Reconstructed scenes

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

The reconstruction of the tomb painting found near the Great Pyramid at Giza will be published in full in a scholarly publication in the future. The images on Live Science show just a few of the reconstructed scenes.

Offering chamber

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

The tomb in general is undergoing restoration work. In 2013 the Russian mission partially restored it. This image shows a restored wall from the tomb's offering chamber.

More Giza tombs

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

Since 1996 a team from the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences has been excavating tombs located east of the Great Pyramid at Giza. This image shows some of the tombs the team has excavated. In some tombs they have found indirect evidence of wall paintings including very smooth walls and remains of wall plaster and paint. They believe that more wall paintings await discovery. [Read full story]

Marsh hunting trip

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

Their work demonstrates that with careful conservation and reconstruction works of art from the pyramid age can be revealed once again. This image shows part of the tomb painting's marsh scene.

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Tomb painting

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

A new painting, depicting scenes of ancient Egyptian life, was discovered in 2012 in a tomb located about 1,000 feet (300 meters) east of the Great Pyramid at Giza. Pictured here the tomb is for a man named Perseneb whom inscriptions say was a "priest" and "steward." It dates to the middle or late fifth dynasty (ca. 2450-2350 B.C.). [Read full story]

Tomb statues

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

The tomb contains a central room, offering room and burial chamber. The complex was first recorded in the 19th century and was noted for its 11 statues, which include depictions of Perseneb and his family. Archaeologists were conducting restoration work and did not expect to make a new discovery. This image shows part of the central room with four of the statues. [Read full story]

Restoring a tomb painting

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

The remains of the painting were found here on the eastern wall of the central room of the tomb near the Great Pyramid at Giza. The painting required extensive cleaning and restoration in order to reveal what the images show.

Soot and dirt

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

The archaeologists went to work, carefully cleaning the painting, removing soot and dirt. Since the 19th century the growth and industrialization of Cairo has led to pollution becoming a growing problem at Giza. Additionally people were actually living in this tomb at different time periods (including the Middle Ages) causing further damage to the painting. [Read full story]

Revealing scenes of life

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

Archaeologists also traced the tomb painting, located near Egypt's Great Pyramid at Giza, allowing for the images to be reconstructed. The painting showed scenes of ancient life, such as boats sailing on the Nile River and a hunting trip for birds near a marsh.

Painting progress

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

As work continued on cleaning and restoring the painting, discovered in the ancient tomb of a man, possibly a priest, near the Great Pyramid at Giza, the original artwork began to return to life.

Tomb painting comes to life

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

"The painting was made on a thin layer of fine white plaster darkened with 19th-century soot and dirt. By the time of recording, only about 30 percent of the original plaster had preserved on the wall," said Maksim Lebedev, a Reader (the American equivalent is a professor) at the Russian State University for the Humanities. Part of the painting after cleaning is shown here.

Agricultural scene

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

The same image from the ancient Egyptian tomb painting with the tracing superimposed. The painting, dating to the middle or late fifth dynasty (ca. 2450-2350 B.C.), has a lengthy agricultural scene that includes the driving of sheep.

Sailing the Nile

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

At the top of the tomb painting there is an image of boats sailing south along the Nile River. This image shows a reconstruction of one of them.

Perseneb and his dog

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

Part of the painting shows Perseneb, noted as a priest or steward in inscriptions, along with his wife and his dog. The dog is shown here at Perseneb's feet.

Reconstructed scenes

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

The reconstruction of the tomb painting found near the Great Pyramid at Giza will be published in full in a scholarly publication in the future. The images on Live Science show just a few of the reconstructed scenes.

Offering chamber

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

The tomb in general is undergoing restoration work. In 2013 the Russian mission partially restored it. This image shows a restored wall from the tomb's offering chamber.

More Giza tombs

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

Since 1996 a team from the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences has been excavating tombs located east of the Great Pyramid at Giza. This image shows some of the tombs the team has excavated. In some tombs they have found indirect evidence of wall paintings including very smooth walls and remains of wall plaster and paint. They believe that more wall paintings await discovery. [Read full story]

Marsh hunting trip

Credit: Photo courtesy Maksim Lebedev

Their work demonstrates that with careful conservation and reconstruction works of art from the pyramid age can be revealed once again. This image shows part of the tomb painting's marsh scene.